The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 89

<'harncler, hi, hatred of sin and loYe of righteousness, his dissatisfaction with merely f,,rmal :rnd ceremonial services, his opposition to idolatry, his g·ifts claims and p_:irposes with_ rnspect to his p_e~ple. . "The prophetic order ir~ it~ higl1est sig~ificn- t1on was not lnng· else than a hvmg witness for those eternal pnnc1ples of righteous- ness whic-h previous revelation had implanted in the Hebrew race, and through them in the life of humanity" (Tulloch). (2) 'l'he eiiforcernent ofrractice, by urgent ap1wals to the conscience, and presenting powerful motives o gratitude for past benefits, hope of future good, and fear of future evil. "The prophets, beside their communication of doctrine, had another and a direct office to discharge as pastors am] ministerial monitors of tl!e pe?ple of God. Their work was to admonish and reprove, to arraign for every ruhng sm, to blow the trumpet of repentance and shake the terrors of the Di,·ine judgment over a guilty lal)d. Often they bor~ the message of consolation o:· 1rnrdon; !arely, if Her, of _public approbation or praise" (Davison). (3) The prediction of things to come; not snnply general results of good or evil con- dnct, but specific events that could not have been known except by Divine inspiration (eh. vii. 4; x. 2; xii. 17; xiii. 14); an element which became more prominent in subsequent times-the things to come having relation to the setting up of a king·dom of heaven on earth. We need not here dwell upon other matters connected with and growing out of the prophetic vocation of Samuel, viz., (4) his offering sacrifice; (5) his civil magistracy; (6) his presiding over the "school of the prophets; '' (7) his recording the events of his time (1 Chron. xxix. 29). 2. The persons whoin his vocation iininediately concerned. (1) The people and the elders of Israel-directing them ,•.-hat to do, exhorting them to forsake their sins, sometimes opposing and con- demning their 'l\;shes. " His business was to keep all brncl true to the Divine purpose for which they had been made a nation" (' Expositor,' vol. iii. p. 344). (2) The priesthood, as in the case of Eli and his sons. (3) Th_e king-teaching him that he was a servant of Jehovah, appointed by him, and bound to obey his laws, an<l when he departed from them denouncing his disobedience. " Under the pro- tection generally, though not always effectual, of their sacred character the prophets were a power in the nation often more than a match for kings and priests, and kept up in that little comer in the earth the antagonism of influences which is the only real security for continued progress . . . . The remark of a distinguished Hebrew, that the prophets were in Church and State equivalent to tbe modern liberty of the press, gives a just but not an inadequate conception of the part fulfilled in national and ur1iYersal histOf'y by this great element of Jewish life" (J. S. Mill,' Representative Government,' p. 41 ). 3. T!te manner in which it was fulfilled: diligently (~er. xxiii. 28 ; xh·iii. 10 = negligently), faithfully (not according to his own natural wishes, but God's will); fearlessly; established=founrl trustworthy-Num. xii. 7; 1 Sam. ii. 35), fully (not shunning to declare all the counsel of God-Deut. iv. 2; Acts xx. 27). Ill. His CONFIRMATION. "The Lord was with him, an<l did let none of hi~ words fall to the ground" (but made them stand firmly, or attain their aim like an arrow wl,ieh hits the mark-ver. 19). He attested, sealed him as his messenger-I. By bringing to pass the good or evil f~ret_old _by hi~ (N um. xxii. 6 ) ... 2. By P.~ovidentiol and even miraculous occurrences, md1catrng his approval (eh. vn. 10; xn. 18). 3. By clothing his word with power, so that it was felt by those to whom it was addressed to be the word of the Lord; for there is something Divine within which responds to the Divine without, and every one who ia truthful perceives and obeys the n,ice of eternal truth (John xviii. 37). IV. Hrs RECOGNITION. "And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that 8amuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord" (ver. 20). The Divine won! "·as no more rare (eh. iii. 1). 1. His autlwritv was universally admitted. It was fa,niliarly known throughout the la11d that he !!ad been appoi~ted as a reg·ular rnc-rliurn of communication between Jehovah and Ins people. 2. His utterances were widely disseminated and regarded with reverence. "The word of Samuel came to all Israel." 3. His 'work thereby became highly effecti1·e. Its full effect appeared lo1w afterwards. But even before the blow of judgment, which he predicted, fell (w~1e 1en years after his call), he doubtless laboured n?t in vain; and during the Fnccceding twenty years (eh. vii. 2) he" spent his time ma slow but resoluto work of kindling the almost extinguished flame of a higher life in Israel."-D.  CR. IV. l--22.] 'fHE FIRST BOOK OF' SAMUEL.